Following the events of Sicario, CIA Task Force Commander Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is commanded to eliminate drug cartels operating in Mexico. Bringing Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) back into the fold, Graver and his top assassin return to Mexico to start a war between two rival cartels in an effort to silence them for good.

Where Denis Villenenue offered us an initiation into the very heart of darkness with Sicario, this time director Stefano Sollima takes us back to the ‘land of wolves’ as Alejandro coined it, but the stakes are now far higher than before. The Drug Cartels have swapped drug trafficking for people smuggling and this has led to a bunch of nefarious terrorist types gaining entrance to the United States, and chaos does ensue. The US Government’s response to all of this: fight chaos with even more ruthless terror and that’s where we arrive in Day of the Soldado. Sollima and writer Taylor Sheridan craft another twisting narrative that uses multiple story points to craft a story of an all the more dangerous and provocative mission.

Sollima made a name for himself with the critically revered Gomorrah crime television opus, and here he brings that same sense of documentary exploration to this film. The cinematography is intricate, and detailed and really puts you as an audience member right into the heart of the action. And whether it’s the intricate planning or the chime of hot lead leaving the gun barrels of fully automatic assault rifles when it all kicks off you feel every single moment of the film’s gun metal tension. Like it’s predecessor, Day of the Soldado is a nerve-racking watch, particularly in its brutal third act, and you’ll find yourself pinned to your seat as the film twists and turns and again goes into corners that you just can’t see coming.

Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro gives another thunderous performance as Alejandro, the lawyer turned assassin who has made it his life’s work to eradicate the Drug Cartels with total ‘extreme prejudice’. He again channels his man of few words, and explicit action perfectly, but the film’s set-up and the twists that exist allow us to see who this man is on a more personal level. While I will say that we do not witness Alejandro dropping his guard, we do get to see his more human side, or what little of it that still remains. It’s a performance that is again a testament to del Toro’s understanding and experience with the performers craft and he again totally delivers.

Standing next to Alejandro is his brother-in-arms CIA Special Activities Division officer Matt Graver played by the brilliant Josh Brolin who again gives an incredibly focused performance. As in the original Sicario, Brolin’s Graver is a man who ‘gets things done’ and who time and time again has proven that he is willing to not merely cross the line, but erase it entirely to ensure that his mission is completed. He is essentially ‘a rough man who is ready to do violence’ in order to secure the security of his nation and again orchestrates some pretty horrendous activities this time around. But being the master puppeteer that he is as Graver, Brolin also remembers to show off his playful side and there’s plenty of sly black humour that finds its way into his performance.

Both del Toro and Brolin complement each other perfectly and it’s a lot of fun to see them again working together as they decide to unleash a war down in Mexico. There’s a certain playfulness that you get to see working between the two of them and I was very impressed with how they traded off one another here.

Like it’s predecessor the details and realism are once again spot on here. As an example of Special Forces action Day of the Soldado lays everything out in the open and showcases the lethal perfection that these operators have in accomplishing there mission. Kitted out with the best tactical gear and comms imaginable Del Toro, Brolin and their team are an unstoppable force and they readily put the fear of god into the low-level Cartel hitmen that they have been assigned to eradicate. Sollima also examines the rise of the world of for profit military contractors, and how the United States mission as ‘the world’s policeman’ has lined a lot of pockets thanks to defense spending budgets.

In terms of following Sicario on a thematic level, Day of the Soldado takes the stage that where the first film was about the militarization of the police, here the idea of policing has been removed and we are now living in a pro military world where law and order are just words to ensure a mission gets the green light. It’s even more interesting given the film’s analysis of its pro-Republican based setting and how this current day feeling is affecting the war on drugs.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a successful follow on and worthy second chapter in what I hope will be an eventual Sicario trilogy. In terms of a cinematic experience it takes you to the very edge and leaves you gasping for breath as to what you just witnessed up on screen. What remains for the sicario himself, Alejandro, still remains to be seen but I’m certain that his war is not over and this devil still has names to collect.

Image: Roadshow Films

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The new trailer is here and it clarifies Alejandro’s mission and the chaos that he intends to level on his enemies. Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Following the events of Sicario, CIA Task Force Commander Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is commanded to eliminate drug cartels operating in Mexico. Bringing Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) back into the fold, Graver and his top assassin return to Mexico to start a war between two rival cartels in an effort to silence them for good.

The new trailer focuses in the mission that Graver and Alejandro take and the rift that develops between these two men. New director Stefano Sollima (Gomorrah) again focuses in on the film’s sense of realism with particular attention to detail on the film’s weaponry and hardware, along with giving us a deeper insight into Alejandro’s frayed and twisted psyche.

Check out my full trailer reaction video for Soldado below and hear my thoughts on the film’s tone and just where this story is going:

Sicario 2: Soldado is not for the faint of heart but it will provide some definite thrills when it arrives in cinemas on June 28.

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The new trailer is a brutal watch. Check out the intensity below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Following the events of Sicario, CIA Task Force Commander Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is commanded to eliminate drug cartels operating in Mexico. Bringing Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) back into the fold, Graver and his top assassin return to Mexico to start a war between two rival cartels in an effort to silence them for good.

Sicario 2: Soldado is definitely not for the faint of heart. The trailer is packed out with plenty of intensity and makes its predecessor look like the film equivalent of a daiquiri. Soldado, on the other hand, is 160 proof whiskey with a serious kick to it.

Del Toro once again looks in killer form as Alejandro and while he may have settled his personal vendetta in the original Sicario, here he’s in overtime and his quick reflexes and killer instincts have not wained.

Sicario 2: Soldado is most definitely one of my most anticipated films of 2018 and will arrive in cinemas on June 28, 2018.

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10. Straight Outta Compton

The rise of gangster rap was brought to the big screen with precision and style by director F. Gary Grey and stood out as one of 2015’s big winners. Showcasing an impressive debut from newcomer Jason Mitchell as the legendary Easy-E, Straight Outta Compton was an obvious stand out.

9. Testament of Youth

The horror, carnage, and loss of the First World War was brought to life in vivid detail in director James Kent’s heart-shattering adaptation of the classic bestseller Testament of Youth. Anchored by the presence and ability of rising star Alicia Vikander, this incredibly moving piece of cinema presented the war as told through the perspective of one young woman who witnessed it first hand, and who would forever be shaped and changed by its aftermath.

8. Creed

Director Ryan Coogler, and rising star Michael B. Jordan, staked their claim for greatness with this hard-hitting new chapter of the Rocky franchise. Jordon cut an impressive figure as talented but angry young prize fighter Adonis Creed-Johnson who, with the help of former champ Rocky Balboa, rises to the occasion. A thrilling film in every sense, Creed was a first class winner.

7. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

The stakes have never been higher for Tom Cruise as superspy Ethan Hunt in this no-holds-barred action film. Reuniting Cruise with longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, his ‘need for speed’ was certainly attained with an adrenaline charging motorcycle chase, as well as featuring the actor brave a 5,000-foot drop from a moving cargo plane.

6. The Dressmaker

Revenge has never looked so good in director Jocelyn Moorhouse’s The Dressmaker. Featuring a story that is original, clever and fantastically sharp, The Dressmaker is anchored by a phenomenal performance from Kate Winslet as vengeful couturier Myrtle ‘Tilly’ Dunnage, and completed by the appearance of Judy Davis as mad old bat ‘Mad’ Molly Dunnage, not to mention Hugo Weaving as the fantastically camp Sergeant Horatio Farrett.

5. Legend

Tom Hardy was pure double trouble in this stylish and violent criminal biopic that brought the notorious Kray twins to life. Shaped by a solid story and brilliant production detail, Legend also saw Hardy effortlessly move between the criminally gifted Reggie, and the violently unstable Ronnie. Emily Browning completes this amazing film as East End ingénue Francis, whose fairytale gangster love affair quickly turns dark.

4. Sicario

Emily Blunt walked a brutal path straight down into the very heart of darkness in Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario. All notions of good and evil were shattered in this hard-hitting crime film which featured one of the most intense confrontations I’ve ever witnessed on screen, and Benicio del Toro was magnificent as the silent and brooding assassin Alejandro.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

For those wanting an adrenaline rush there was nowhere better to turn than George Miller’s gasoline charged, action-manic spectacular Mad Max: Fury Road. Featuring two brilliant performances from co-leads Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road brought to life a dangerous and dark world.

2. The Ground We Won

The camaraderie and brotherhood of the game of rugby stood at the heart of this extraordinary documentary film, which chronicled a group of good ol’ kiwi battlers who lived for the weekend and the game they loved. Captured with beautiful black and white cinematography, The Ground We Won was a moving portrait of a rural community, and the game that held them together in a piece of unmissable cinema.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an absolutely amazing cinematic feat, and is without a doubt my favourite film of the year. Capturing the nostalgia of the original trilogy, as well as introducing two amazing new co-leads, Force Awakens was action-adventure storytelling at it best. Utterly brilliant.

Feature image source: Walt Disney Pictures.

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Idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official (Josh Brolin) to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant (Benicio del Toro) with a questionable past, the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive.

With an all-star cast and powerful script you shouldn’t need any more reason to line up for this thrilling flick. In case you’re on the fence, here’s the extra push you need:

5. The Wild West 

Set in the dark and dusty plains of the American Border and Mexico, Sicario makes it clear that the Wild West never died, having simply replaced horses with four wheel drives and upgraded to bigger guns. When idealistic FBI Agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) first crosses the border, she comes to find herself in a completely alien world where the very question of right and wrong doesn’t exist. Villenenue uses the classic western archetypes to his advantage, but shifts them to suit this new world that his characters operate in where there are no rules, and the white hats have left town forever.

4. Cinematography on the edge 

In Sicario, Villenenue also finds himself blessed with the partnership of noted cinematographer Roger Deakins, and the two shoot one hell of a film together. Deakins captures the crimson dusk and fading light in clear, beautiful strokes which heightens the scope and epicness of the plot. But the biggest test for Deakins comes in the formidable border crossing scene: a tense, nail-biting, journey that is framed beautifully and tracks at the pace of a ticking clock attached to a stick of dynamite.

3. The shadow world

Part of what makes Sicario so compelling is Villenenue’s commitment to detail in the world he finds himself operating in. Centering his story on the shadow warriors of the elite Tier One units of the FBI and their fellow law enforcement organisations, Villenenue takes the time to get their look and actions right, from the kit that they wear to their weapons and tactics. Everything works to create a believable world that will both fascinate and scare audiences.

2. Benicio del Toro’s Muerte Encarnada 

Death takes human form in the shape of Benicio del Toro’s silent and intimidating assassin Alejandro — a lethal man of few words who is brutally efficient in the art of death. From the moment he graces the screen, you know there’s something off about this smooth and silent man with no name. Del Toro fully commits to the role of Alejandro, crafting a frightening and intriguing character who will live on as one of the silver screen’s most legendary antiheroes.

1.  Emily Blunt: a sheep amongst wolves

While del Toro may provide the horror, Denis Villenenue places Emily Blunt at the film’s centre as FBI hostage rescue operative Kate Macer — a thoroughly green agent who finds herself quickly in over her head in this dark and chaotic world. As the only women in Sicaro’s boy’s club, Blunt really steps up to the plate, crafting a performance that guides the audience into the dark and brutal world where they experience the events of the movie first hand as she does. Blunt brilliantly bears the responsibility of playing the film’s moral center, which places her at great odds with her puppet master superior, the sly Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), and the dangerous world in which she now works. Blunt gives a simply stunning performance, and it’s very likely that Academy Gold could be heading her way.

Image source: Roadshow Films.

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